Ten Favorite Bodies of Water Songs: The Bottomless Lake (#6)

With two concurrent series of countdowns about songs that have a body of water in the title -- one just rivers and one with all the other bodies of water -- you might think I'm all wet! Here's the next song on my list of favorite songs that have some body of water in the title.
#6: The Bottomless Lake - John Prine
One of our national treasures, John Prine can write some of the most heartbreaking songs ever known to humanity (I mentioned in a few other countdowns that "Sam Stone," Prine's tribute to a heroin-addicted Vietnam veteran, is something that I cannot stand to listen to because it is so powerful), and he can write some pretty darn funny things, too.
This song is in the latter category. Not released until 1984, Prine had been doing this song for some time. In fact, he did it when I saw him in 1981. And, believe me, the audience roared when he got to the bridge of, "We are falling down, down to the bottom of a hole in the ground" then the next, completely unrelated line, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
Yes, this song is silly. You can almost hear Prine laughing as he sings it. But it's a fun song, something we all need every now and then. I couldn't take Prine if he did nothing but "Sam Stone."
The Bottomless Lake
Written by John Prine
Recorded by John Prine
From Aimless Love, 1984
Wear clean underwear!